Control head



Sept. 6, 1932. F. .1. YOUNG ET AL 1,375,793

CONTROL HEAD Filed Jan. 8, 1950 Patented Sept. 6, 1932 I UNITED STATES FPATENT 'oFFlcE,

I FORBEST JOSEPH YOUNG, OF TORRANGE, AND SPENCER WILLIAM LONG, OF REDONDO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNORS TO THE'NATIONAL SUEPILY COMPANY OF'DELA'WAR-E, NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE CONTROL HEAD Application filed January 2, 1930; Serial No. 419,314.

This invention relates to control heads, and more particularly to a head for closing the upper ends of well casings and which is particularly adaptable for use in connection with oil and gas wells.

An object of this invention is to provide a control head which is adapted to be secured to a plurality of concentrically disposed casings, tubings or the like to seal the space between said casings or tubings, and-to providev a means for packing 01f. the spacings between said casings or tubings to prevent the blow-- ing out of the well through the spaces.

Another object of this invention is to provide a control head including a control head member having means within it for supporting an inner concentric casing and a means for packing off the space between the inner concentric casing and the outer casing which is independently operative irrespective of the weight of the casing, or casings, being packed off, and which is operable to pack the space between said casings irrespective of the belching or throwingupward of the inner casing by gas or other pressure suddenly developed in the well, and which will at all times maintain the space between said concentric casings packed to prevent blowing outof gas or other fluids from the space between said casings.

Other objects and advantages of this invention it is believed will be apparent fr 111 the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawing:

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is aside elevation partially in vertical mid-section of a control head embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional end elevation taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of Figure 1.

In the preferred embodiment of our invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, 1 indicates a control head member which is adapted to be secured to an outer casing 2 by any suitable or desirable means, and preferably by being directly screw-threaded by 1. The segmental slips 5 are provided with any suitable form of grippin means or wickers generally indicated at 8 or gripping the inner casing 4. v

Means are provided for packing the inner concentric casing .4against the casing head member 1 to seal the space or chamber 9 between said casings 2 and'4 and which means are operable independently of the weight of the inner casing 4 and are herein illustrated as including a split ring 10 which isseated on a seat 11 formed withinlthe bore of the casing head member 1 and u on which ring 10 rings 12 and 13 of any sultable or desirable form of packing material are positioned.

A packing glandfollower 14 is mounted on the upper o the packing rings 13. Means are provided for expanding the packing rings 12 and 13 outwardly against the inner periphery 15, casing head member 1, and to a position to pack against the inner casing 4, or preferably the tool joint or collar 16 thereof so as to eliminate all danger of crushing the easing 4 at its upper end. The means herein illustrated for expanding the packin 12 and 13 include bolts 17 which are screw-t readed into the casing head member 1, as indicated at 18, and pass through bores 19 formed in the follower 14. The upper ends of the bolt 17 are provided with nuts 20.. The acking gland member 14 is positioned wit in the illustrated as including an outlet 21'formed which a pipe 22 is threaded. The pipe 22 is provided with any suitable form -of valve structure common in the art for controlling the rate of discharge from the annular space 9.

In order to provide for the supporting of a plurality of concentrically disposed casings, a second casing head member 23, which is similar to the casing head member 1, is screw-threaded to the upper end of the casing'head member 1 and is packed against the upper casing head member 1 primarily, to seal off any gas between casings #4 and #31 and to provide'additional packing means to prevent the blowing out offluid from the control head should the packing by the members 12 and 13 fail at any time.

The casing head member 23 is provided with a downwardly extending tapered skirt 24, which is threaded, as indicated at 25, to enable the said member to bescrew-threaded into the tapered threads 26 formed in the annular tapered recess 27 formed in the upper end of -the casing head member 1. Mounted in the lower end of the recess 27 is packing material 28, which is engaged by the lower end of the skirt 24 and compressed as the casing head member 23 is screwthreadedly connected to the casing head member 1. A shoulder 29 is formed on the casing head member 23 positionedto engage the upper end of the casing head member 1 and limit the extent to which the casing head member 23 is screw-threaded into the casing head. member 1.

The casing head member 23 is similar to the casing head member 1 in that it is provided with slips 30 similar to the slips 5 which engage the inner concentrically positioned casing 31 to support the same 'on the tapered seat 32 of the casing head member 23.

A packing gland structure entirely similar to the packing gland formed of the elements 10, 12, 13 and 14, is provided in the casing headmember 23 and includes the lower ring 33, packing rings 34 and 35, and the follower 36. The follower 36 is clamped in position by means of bolts 37. The packing 34 and 35 by means ofthe follower 36, is expanded to pack against the collar 38 secured to the easing 31 and against the inner periphery of the casing head member 23.

Any suitable or desirable series of such casing head members 1 and 23 may be connected together in the manner in which the casing head members 1 and 23 are connected to se-. cure together support and pack ofl any desired number of concentrically disposed cas- -ings, and it is believed unnecessary for applicants'to herein specifically illustrate the use of further packing head members similar to the member 23 as it will be obvious that additional casing head members 23 of the same construction may be employed, depending provided that the casing head member 23 is screw threaded to the casing head member 1. The cap member 38 is, at its opposite end, secured to a discharge conduit 39, which may be the lower extension of any suitable or desirable form of flow-device, Christmas tree or the like, the-useof which is well understood in the art.

In order to prevent the breaking of the packing connection concealing the spaces between the concentric casings by the upheaval of the inwardly disposed casings, we prefer to employ means which are adapted to engage the upper ends of the casings or the collars secured therethrough to prevent the upheaval of these casings due to gas pressure developing in the well, and to thus maintain packing opposed to the members 12 and 13, or 34 and 35, at all times in position to seal the spaces between the concentric casings. In order to accomplish this result we form the casinghead members 23 and the cap 38 with downwardly depending flanges 40 and 41 respectively, whichare cut away as indicated at 42 to provide shoulders 43 against which the upper ends of the collars of the casings will engage if a pressure is exerted from within the well tending to heave the said concentrically disposed casings upwardly. In case of the cap 38 we provide an outlet'44 through the depending flange 41 so that there may be provided acommunication from within the inner of the said casings 31 through the outlet 45 formed through the cap member 38.

In order to permit flow of fluids from the annular space 46 formed between the casings 4 and 31, the casing head member 23- is provided with an outlet 47 similar to the outlet 21 formed in the casing head-member 1 and into which a pipe 48 is screw-threaded. The pipe 48 is provided with any suitable form of fiow control device or valve as desired.

Having fully described our invention, it is to be understood that we do not wish to be limited to the details herein set forth, but our invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.

We claim: v s, 1. A control head including a pair of similar casing head members secured together and one of said casing head members being secured to the upper end of a casing, the easing head members each including sectional I and one of said casing head members being secured to the upper end of a casing, the casing head members each including sectional slips mounted on tapered seats formed within said casing head members to support concentrically disposed casings, packing glands mounted within said casing head members above said sectional slips on shoulders formed within said casing head members, packing gland follower rings mounted on the packing glands, means mounted within the casing head members for adjusting the position of said packing gland followers to pack the said concentric casings against the casing head members and vents formed in the casing head members communicating with annular spaces formed between the concentric casings and the upper of said casing head members providing means for holding the casing supported by the lower casing head member from heaving upwardly in the lower said casing head member.

' 3. A control head including a pair of similar casing head members secured together a pluralitv of onnected, superimposed and one of said casing head members being secured to the upper end of a casing, the casing head members each including sectional slips mounted on tapered seats formed within said casing head members to support concentrically disposed casings, packing glands mounted within said casing head members above said sectional slips on shoulders formed within said casing head members, packing gland follower rings mounted on the packing glands, means mounted within the casing head members for adjusting the position of said packing gland followers to pack the said concentric casings against the casing head members and vents formed in the casing head members communicating with annular spaces formed between the concentric casings and the upper of said casing head members providing means for holding the casing supported by the lower casing head member from heaving upwardly in the lower said casing head member, and a cap member secured to the upper of said casing head members and provided with a gas vent communicating with the interior of the innermost of said concentric casings.

4. In a concentric-casing head apparatus,

elements each with grips to hang a respective casing; each cap having a packer set which is insertable or removable while the head is in place about its respective casing and each packer having an'adjustable follower accessible from the top of the bore of its cap in the absence .of higher caps of the apparatus.

5. In a concentric casing head apparatus, a plurality of connected, superimposed. cap elements, each with grips to hang a respective casing, each cap having a packer set which is insertable or removable while the head is in place about its respective casing,

' and each packer having an adjustable follower accessible from the top of the bore of its cap in the absence of highencaps of the apparatus, means for connecting the caps together, and means for packing the connectlIl means.

bigned at Torrance, Calii, this 2nd day of January, 1930. FORREST JOSEPH YOUNG,

SPENCER WILLIAM LONG. 

